Sole-leveling machine.



P. A. BOWEN.

SOLE LEVELING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 1, 1914 1,1 1?,775, Patented Nov. 17, 1914.

*Niinesses. Inventor.

WITED STATES PATENT onnion.

PHILIP A. BQWEN, OF LYNN. MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO LILLIAN A. LITTLE,OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

SOLE-LEVELING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 17, 1914.

Application filed May 1, 1914. Serial No. 835,760.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, PHILIP A. BOWEN, acitizen of the United States, residing at Lynn, county of Essex, Stateof Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Sole-LevelingMachines, of which the following description, in connection with theaccompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawingrepresenting like parts.

This invention relates to sole leveling machines and has for its objectto provide a novel construction by which each edge of the sole will behelddown against the last while the opposite edge is being subjected tothe rolling or leveling operation. In the operation of leveling the soleof a shoe, the shoe supported by its last is sustained by a suitablejack or shoe support, and then a presser roll is passed back and forthover the sole of the shoe under heavy pressure thereby to press the solefirmly against the last and shape the sole to the last. In performingthis operation it is customary to pass the roll once or twice across thecenter of the sole and then to turn the presser roll and cause it topass back and forth on each edge of the sole, the purpose of this beingto bring the edges of the sole firmly against the last and make themconform thereto.

In practice it often happens that after one edge of the sole has beenleveled or subjected to the action of the presser roll, and while theother edge is being acted upon by the roll, the first edge will peel upor separate somewhat from the last, especially at the shank of the shoe,this being due tothe fact that the bottom of the last is more or lessrounded at the shank portion, and while the roll is acting on thelast-named edge, there is nothing to hold the first edge down in itsleveled position. This is the cause of more or less annoyance in themanufacture of shoes andinterferes somewhat with the operations ofmanufacturing the shoe. In order to avoid this difficulty, I haveprovided an attachment for sole-leveling machines by which both edges ofthe sole at the shank of the shoe are firmly held in position during thesole-leveling process, thus avoiding any possibility of either edge ofthe sole peeling up while the opposite edge is being rolled or leveled.

In order to give a proper understanding of my invention I haveillustrated a selected embodiment thereof which will now be describedafter which the novel features will be pointed out in the appendedclaims.

Referring to the drawings wherein I have illustrated such selectedembodiment of my invention, Figure l is a fragmentary perspective viewshowing a portion of a soleleveling machine having my improvementsapplied thereto; Fig. :2 is a sectional view of the means for applyingpressure to the hold-down; Fig. 3 is a section on the line ;r'.'r, Fig.v

I have not deemed it necessary to illus-L trate herein a completesole-leveling machine, but have only shown a sullicient portion of oneto enable my invention to be readily understood.

In the drawings a shoe, the sole of which is to be leveled, is shown at1 sustained on a last 2 which is supported on a suitable jack or stand3, the toe of the shoe being sustained on a toe rest I, all as usual insoleleveling machines. This toe rest I and jack 3 are carried by aswinging frame 5 mounted on a shaft (3, the jack or support 3 beingadjustabl v mounted on the frame for movement toward and from the toerest 4 by means of an adjusting screw 7, all as usual in devices of thisnature. The toe rest i is carried on a post 8 rising from the frame 5. i

9 designates the presser roll by which the sole 10 of the shoe isleveled. This presser roll is carried in a yoke 11, and suitable means,not shown herein, is provided for reciprocating the roll over the soleof the shoe thereby to perform the sole-leveling operation.

In sole-le eling machines of this type the frame 5 is mounted to turnabout the shaft 6 so that said frame can be swung from the positionshown in Fig. I, in which position the shoe is removed from the path ofthe presser roll 9, into a position where the shoe will be operated uponby theroll 9, and in the latter position the portion 12 of the frame 5is brought into line with the hub 13 of the frame of the machine, saidhub 13 having a locking bolt (not shown) slidably mounted therein whichwhen thrown forward will engage in the recess 14 formed in the part 12of the swinging frame 5, thus locking said frame in its operativeposition. In the operation of leveling the sole, the frame 5 is swunginto the position shown in Fig. 1, and a shoe with'a sole thereon isapplied to the jack, after which the frame is swung forwardly into theposition where the shoe will be acted upon by the roll 9, 5 and islocked in such position by the looking bolts above described, at whichtime the yoke 11 is given its reciprocating movement to cause thepresser roll 9 to move back and forth over the sole 10 and shape thelatter w to the last. v

i As stated above, it frequently happens that after the roll 9 hasoperated on one edge of the sole and is then operating on the otheredge, the pressure of the roll against 5 said other edge will cause saidfirst-named edge to peel up from the last, especially at the shank ofthe shoe, and to prevent this, I have provided a hold-down device whichacts on the sole of the shoe at the shank thereof and which holds bothedges of the sole firmly against the last during the solelevelingoperation; My improvement is of such a character that it can be readilyaplied to an ordinary sole-leveling machine. The hold-down device isshown at 15 and is in the form of a strap of leather, canvas, or othersuitable material adapted to have engagement with the sole 10 at theshank of the shoe. The ends of this hold-down are connected to anactuating device by which pressure may be applied to the hold-down tomaintain it in firm engagement with the sole of the shoe. This actuatingdevice is herein shown as a two-armed lever 17 which is pivotallyconnected at its end to a stand or post 18 that in turn is secured tothe frame 5, said post being herein shown ashaving the foot portion 19which is bolted to the base of the frame 5. The lever 17 is hereinillustrated as a two-armed lever, the

arms of which straddle or are located on opposite sides of the standardor jack 3, and

, each arm has adjustably mounted thereon a block 20 to which one end ofthe hold-down 15 is pivotally connected, as at 16. The blocks 20 can beadjusted longitudinally of the lever 17, thus providing for locating thehold-down in the right position to properly act on the sole of the shoe.These blocks may be carried by the arms of the lever 17 in any suitableway. As herein shown, each lever is provided with a slot 21, and eachblock is provided with a rib 22 to enter the slot, and with another rib23' to engage the top of the lever, said blocks being held in engagementwith the lever by clamping plates 24 which are located on the inside ofthe arms of the lever, and are screwed to the ribs 22. The pivotalconnection between 3 the lever 17 and post 18 is preferably a yieldingone, and as herein illustrated the arms of the lever are pivotallymounted on trunnions 26 carried by a spacing block 27 which fits betweenthe arms, and said block has a bolt or screw 28 depending therefromswing about the trunnions 26, but also provides a yielding connectionbetween the lever and the post 18 for reasons which will be presentlydescribed. The outer end of the lever 17 is provided with a handle 32 bywhich it is actuated, and this handle has associated therewith a latchdevice which cooperates with a ratchet member 33 for looking the leverin its operative position. This ratchet member 33 is secured at itslower end to the frame 5 in any suitable way, extends up between thearms of the lever 17, and is provided with ratchet teeth The end of thelever 17 carries a pawl 35 which cooperates with the ratchet teeth 34:,and said pawl is actuated by a finger piece 36 which is connected at itslower end to an arm 37 pivoted at 38 to the handle 32 and extendingthrough an opening 39 in the end of the pawl, 40 is a spring confinedbetween the handle 32 and finger piece 36 and which tends normally tohold the pawl 35 yieldingly in engagement with the ratchet teeth 34. Theratchet member 33 is held in its operative position by a pin 41 carriedby the arms of the lever 17.

In the operation of the device a shoe is applied to the jack 3 and toerest 4 and the hold-down 15 is then swung up over the top of the soleand positioned on the shank thereof, as shown in Fig. 1, after which theoperator presses downwardly on the lever 32 therebv bringing pressure onthe holddown and pressing the latter firmly against the sole 10. Duringthis operation the spring 30 may yield somewhat, and when the desiredpressure has been secured the pawl 35 will maintain such pressure. Theframe 5 is then swung forwardly into its operative position and thenlocked, and the presser roll 9' is carried back and forth across thesole thereby to level the latter in usualmanner. During the operation ofthe roll on either edge of the sole the hold-down serves to keep theopposite edge of the sole firmly pressed into position and prevents itfrom peeling up or springing away from the last as frequently happenswhere no holddown is used. After the sole has been properly leveled thepawl 35 is withdrawn from the ratchet teeth 31 and the lever 17 israised sufiiciently to permit the hold-down being swung off from theshoe after which the shoe can be removed and another shoe placed inposition.

The hold-down 15 not only operates to hold the edges of the sole inposition and prevent them from peeling up from the last, but it alsoserves as a means for firmly holding the toe of the shoe against the toerest 4:, thus obviating the necessityof the mechanism .usually employedfor forcing the toe of the shoe down onto the toe rest and maintainingit there. Such mechanism is usually in the form of means for positivelyrocking the block at the upper end of the standard 3 and which sustainsthe last pin 51. In my device this means is not necessary and I proposeto employ a spring 52 connected to the pivoted block 50 and whichnormally centers the block 50 with the last pin in a vertical position.This center position is one in which it is convenient to apply the lastto the last pin or remove it therefrom.

It will be seen from the above that my invention is one which can bereadily apembodiment of my invention I do not wish to be limited to theconstructional features shown.

I claim:

1. In a sole-leveling machine, the combi-- nation with a shoe-supportingframe having a jack and a toe rest for supporting a shoe, of a postsecured to the frame adjacent the toe rest, a lever having a yieldingpivotal connection with the post, a hold-down strap connected to saidlever and means to lock the lever in operative position.

2. In a sole-leveling machine, the combination with a shoe-supportingframe, of a lever having a yielding pivotal connection with said frame,a hold-down strap connected to the lever and adapted to embrace the soleof a shoe and means to lock the lever in operative position.

3. In a sole-leveling machine, the combination with a shoe-supportingframe of a lever having a yielding pivotal connection with said frame, ahold-down strap connected to said lever for adjustment longitudinallythereof and means to lock the lever in operative position.

4. In a sole-leveling machine, the combination with a shoesupportingframe having a jack and a toe rest, of a lever having a yielding pivotalconnection with said frame adjacent the toe rest, a hold down strap andmeans adjustable longitudinally of the lever for connecting thehold-down strap thereto.

5. In a sole-leveling machine, the combination with a shoe-supportingframe, of a post secured to said frame, a lever having a yieldingpivotal connection with sald post and a hold-down strap adjustablyconnected to said lever.

(1. In a sole-leveling machine, thecombination with a shoe supportingframe having a toe rest, of a post rising from said frame adjacent thetoe rest, a two-armed lever having a yielding pivotal connection withsaid post and a hold-down strap adapted to embrace the sole of a shoeand having its ends connected to the arms of said lever.

7. In a sole-leveling machine, the combination with a shoe-supportingframe having a toe rest, of a post rising from said frame adjacent thetoe rest, a two-armed lever having a yielding pivotal connection withsaid post, a hold-down strap adapted to embrace the sole of a shoe, andmeans for adjustably connecting the ends of said strap to the arms ofthe lever.

8. In a sole-leveling machine, the combi nation with a shoe-supportingframe having a toe rest, of a post rising from said frame adjacent thetoe rest, a two-armed lever having a yielding pivotal connection withsaid post, a hold-down strap adapted to embrace the sole of a shoe, andmeans adjustable longitudinally of the arms of said lever to connect thehold-down strap thereto.

9. In a sole-leveling machine, the combination with a shoe-sup ortingframe having a jack and a toe rest, 0 a lever having yielding pivotalconnection with the frame adjacent the toe rest, a hold-down strapconnected to said lever and means independent from the jack to lock thelever in adjusted position.

10. In a sole-leveling machine, the combination with a shoe-supportingframe having a jack and a toe rest, of a lever having yielding pivotalconnection with the frame adjacent the toe rest, a hold-down strapconnected to said lever, a ratchet bar pivotally secured to the frame inthe rear of the jack and separate therefrom, and a pawl carried by saidlever for engaging said ratchet arm.

11. In a sole-leveling machine, the combination with a shoesupportingframe of a block yieldingly connected to the frame, a lever pivoted tothe block and a hold-down strap connected to the lever.

12. In a sole-leveling machine, the combination with a shoe-supportingframe having a post rising therefrom, a block yieldingly connected tothe post, a two-armed lever. pivotally connected to the block and aholddown strap connected to the arms of said lever.

13. In a sole-leveling machine, the combination with a shoe-supportingframe, of a post secured thereto, a blockyieldingly connected to thepost, a two-arm lever pivoted to the block, a hold-down strap adapted toembrace the sole of a shoe and connections between said strap and leverwhich are adj ustable longitudinally of the lever.

14. In a sole-leveling machine, the combination with a shoe-supportingframe of a hollow post secured thereto, a block above the post having abolt extending therefrom into said post, a spring within the post actingon the bolt, a lever pivoted to the block and a hold-down strapconnected to the lever.

15. In a sole-leveling machine, the combination with a shoe-supportingframe, of a lever having a yielding pivotal connection therewith, ahold-down strap connected to said lever, a ratchet bar pivotallyconnected to the frame, and a pawl carried by the lever 10 for engagingthe ratchet bar, said lever having guiding mt ms to maintain the ratchetbar in operatiw e1. :nent with the awi.

In testimon whereof, I have signe my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

PHILIP A; BOWEN.

Witnesses:

LOUIS C. SMITH, THOMAS J DRUMMOND.

